... 's independence era in the early 1960s had also broadened popular knowledge of its people and their society. Cooper identifies elements of the deeply expressive language she calls Jamaican that incorporates African-derived words and grammar and in which proverbs play a powerful, semantic role. For Cooper, Bennett's "performance poetry" represents one end of the spectrum of Jamaica's mostly unwritten ... singer-DJs like Shabba Ranks, Yellowman, or Josey Wales reigns supreme. Whereas reggae performers like Bob Marley or the late Peter Tosh often sang with idealism about political themes, ...

• Word Count: 3725
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography